Commercial building in Surrey’s Newton area damaged by fire

The Surrey Fire Service says a commercial building in the Newton neighbourhood has suffered significant damage after an early-morning blaze Sunday.

Assistant Deputy Chief Rich Bodnark says crews were called out to the structure at 71A Avenue near 134th Street just before 8 a.m.

“Upon arrival, crews were met with heavy smoke and flames coming from the rear of the building,” Bodnark said.

“Crews performed an offensive exterior operation, concentrating on exposures by suppressing the fire and cooling adjacent buildings with excessive amounts of water.”

Bodnark says it was just the rear of the structure that suffered extensive damage.

“If you looked at this building from the front of it, you wouldn’t even know a fire had occurred,” Bodnark said.

“So they were able to contain the majority of the fire loss in the rear of the building.”

He says 28 firefighters, nine fire trucks, and multiple emergency personnel were on scene.

The Surrey Police Service had helped evacuate residents in adjacent buildings — which were commercial with residential on top — by the time fire crews were on scene, Bodnark says.

“Fortunately, there were no injuries and all occupants were accounted for.”

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, he says.

— With files from Raynaldo Suarez